JNA Awards 2019 is open for entries

HONG KONG, March 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- JNA Awards invites qualified companies and individuals to take part in the highly anticipated JNA Awards 2019. Now on its eighth edition, the annual awards programme is officially open and will accept entries until 26 April 2019.

Organised by UBM Asia, the JNA Awards is dedicated to recognising, celebrating and encouraging best business practices, excellence and innovation. It has also honoured outstanding individuals and companies in the international jewellery and gemstone industry since its inception in 2012.

Manufacturer of the Year – Cutting & Polishing – Creativity and Innovation

Manufacturer of the Year – Jewellery

Outstanding Enterprise of the Year – China

Outstanding Enterprise of the Year – Countries/Regions outside of India and China

Outstanding Enterprise of the Year – India

Retailer of the Year

Sustainability Initiative of the Year

Young Entrepreneur of the Year (age 40 and below)

Lifetime Achievement Award (nominated by the organiser)

Entries will be evaluated by an esteemed panel of judges comprised of six international industry experts, namely:

Albert Cheng, Advisor to the World Gold Council and former Managing Director, Far East (WGC)

James Courage, former Chief Executive Officer of Platinum Guild International (PGI) and former Chairman of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC)

Lin Qiang, President and Managing Director of the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE)

Nirupa Bhatt, Managing Director of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in India and the Middle East

Yasukazu Suwa, Chairman of Suwa & Son, Inc

Mark Lee, Research Director of Asia Pacific Institute for Strategy

Albert Cheng shared, "Having been part of the judging panel for the past seven years, I have seen the discovery of many 'glittering gems' in our industry. By participating in the JNA Awards, your company, like 'unpolished gemstones' will be subjected to selection, cutting and polishing. If you are nominated and eventually win an award in your category, it would be like a hidden, beautiful rough stone transforming into glittering precious gemstones or diamonds. Are you ready to show us your 'hidden gem'? We are waiting for you."

"Take the opportunity to illustrate why you or your company deserve to lead in a JNA Awards category. Be part of an exclusive list of outstanding jewellery companies that have won or become Honourees in the JNA Awards – the only one that exclusively covers the jewellery industry," James Courage added.

Letitia Chow, Chairperson of the JNA Awards, and Director of Business Development – Jewellery Group at UBM Asia, said, "In the past seven years, the JNA Awards has established itself as an influential platform for the international jewellery and gemstone industry to come together and share success cases for the advancement of the trade. We hope to continue to attract more innovators and pioneers to take part in this prestigious and inspiring awards event to showcase positive developments in the industry."

Kent Wong, Managing Director of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, said, "Chow Tai Fook is honoured to have been the Headline Partner of the JNA Awards since it was first staged in 2012. We have seen how the JNA Awards serves as a prestigious platform for bringing industry elites together and driving the industry towards excellence. We sincerely hope that more players in the sector will support our cause and be our partners in advancing the jewellery industry."

Lin Qiang, President and Managing Director of SDE, shared, "The honour hall of the JNA Awards opens grandly again in 2019. Excellent enterprises fear neither competition nor challenge. They care more about showing the best of themselves. I look forward to the delightful surprises and brilliant performances they will bring us through this amazing opportunity."

Kenneth Scarrat, CEO of Danat – Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones added, "Competition, from wherever it comes, drives the future. This is as true for the gemstone and jewellery sectors as it is for life itself. Those that 'step up to the plate' are the drivers of the future. Regardless of your sector, level of creativity or innovation, it is time to come forward and participate through the JNA Awards programme and show the world what it means to be an industry leader."

Edward Johnson, Director of Business Development of Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) also shared, "RJC is proud to work in collaboration with UBM Asia to promote the JNA Awards, and we encourage eligible jewellery businesses to participate. By doing so, companies can demonstrate their commitment to best business practices, which is an effective step in improving the reputation of their business, and that of the gem and jewellery industry."

To enter the JNA Awards, interested parties must complete and submit their entry forms no later than midnight (Hong Kong time) of 26 April 2019. Honourees or shortlisted entrants will be announced on 20 June 2019 at the June Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair.

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited (the "Group"; SEHK stock code: 1929) was listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in December 2011.

Founded in 1929, the iconic brand "Chow Tai Fook" of the Group has been widely recognised for its trustworthiness and authenticity, and renowned for product design, quality and value. The legacies of the Group and its iconic brand are rooted in innovation, craftsmanship and heritage. The Group also encompasses other jewellery brands including Hearts On Fire, MONOLOGUE and SOINLOVE.

The Group's commitment to sustainability is anchored in its "Smart+" initiatives which have been in place to promote innovation surrounding its business, people and culture. Another asset underpinning its sustainability is a sophisticated vertically integrated business model which supports the Group in fostering excellence and extending opportunities along the entire value chain. With an extensive retail network in Greater China, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States, and a fast-growing e-commerce business, the Group is capable of implementing effective online-to-offline ("O2O") strategies and achieving omni-channel retailing.

Authorised by the State Council, the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE) is the only diamond exchange body in China; and provides diamond dealers a fair and safe transaction venue under close supervision. It also enjoys a favourable taxation policy and is operated in accordance with international best practices of the diamond industry.

Established in 2000, the SDE is a non-profit, self-regulating membership organisation and a member of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses.

The Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (Danat) was established in 2017, as an initiative of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Danat was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom. Danat evolved from the Pearl & Gem Testing Laboratory of Bahrain (the first laboratory of its kind in the region), which was established in 1990. It was formed to expand upon and enhance the excellent work of the laboratory, with the vision of becoming the world's preferred institute for natural pearl and gemstone third-party verification services and scientific research.

Currently, Danat plays a vital role in protecting and enhancing the public's trust in pearls, gemstones and jewellery. With its offices located at the iconic Bahrain World Trade Centre, the facility aims to establish itself as the window into international markets, serving local and global clients, and bolstering the reputation of the Kingdom as a leading centre for pearl and gemstone expertise.

Danat is an authority on industry standards, scientific knowledge and education, and is committed to the highest standards of professional and personal ethics. It is dedicated to supporting the pearl and gemstone industry and offers training programmes locally, regionally and internationally to a new generation of gemmologists, industry professionals and gemmology enthusiasts.

The KGK Group was founded in 1905 by Kesrimal Kothari and Ghisilal Kothari of Jaipur (India), with the humble task of trading gemstones between India and Burma. With a global presence across 19 countries today, the privately held group has evolved into one of the most preferred brands in the gemstone and jewellery industry, with a vertically integrated operation that spans the entire supply chain from mines to brands. KGK is one of the few conglomerates covering the entire spectrum of mining, sourcing, manufacturing and distribution of coloured gemstones, diamonds and jewellery for over a century. KGK Group has a resilient team of 12,000 employees with operations and offices in Asia, Australia, North and South America, Europe and Africa. Having achieved an impeccable reputation in the gemstone, diamond and jewellery trade, the group has recently diversified into real estate.

China Gems & Jade Exchange is a national gem and jade trading platform approved by the State Council.

China Gems & Jade Exchange adheres to the principle of "Led by Technology, Develop with Innovation"by using the latest real-time traceability, big data, block chains, high-end intelligent technology to solve various bottlenecks in the development of the gemstone industry. At present, two platforms have been built, namely, gemstone trading service platform and intelligent supply chain service platform. China Gems & Jade Exchange has become the only international gemstone trading service platform with full process tracking service in the industry.

In line with the basic principles of " fairness, impartiality and openness", China Gems & Jade Exchange combines the concepts of "innovation, advancement and compliance" to provide high-quality and professional third-party supporting trade services for jewelry enterprises at home and abroad.

The Guangdong Land Holdings Limited (GDLAND), with its headquarters in Hong Kong, is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, and is a subsidiary of GDH Limited, which is Guangdong Province's largest conglomerate operating outside Mainland China.

The principal business of GDLAND is property development and investment, including but not limited to the development and operational management of the innovative commercial real estate, urban complex and industrial business complex. As the strategic arm of GDH Limited, GDLAND engages in the business development of commercial real estate, as well as urban and industrial complex projects.

GDLAND's flagship project, namely the "Buxin Project," is planned to become the biggest and most advanced jewellery mart in the world, including a large-scale jewellery trading and exhibition centre along with other facilities, with a lot size of over 87,000 square metres and a construction scale (floor area) that is projected to exceed 700,000 square metres. The Buxin Project, which is located in the Buxin area of Luohu district in Central Shenzhen, close to the Shuibei Gold and Jewellery Base, is expected to develop the area into one of the most influential gold and jewellery trading and exchange platforms in China and around the world.

UBM Asia recently became part of Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organiser in the world. Please visit www.ubm.com/asia for more information about our presence in Asia.

The Responsible Jewellery Council is an international not-for-profit standards and certification organisation. It has more than 1,100 member companies that span the jewellery supply chain from mine to retail. RJC Members commit to and are independently audited against the RJC Code of Practices – an international standard on responsible business practices for diamonds, gold and platinum group metals. The Code of Practices addresses human rights, labour rights, environmental impact, mining practices, product disclosure and many more important topics in the jewellery supply chain. RJC also works with multi-stakeholder initiatives on responsible sourcing and supply chain due diligence. The RJC's Chain-of-Custody Certification for precious metals supports these initiatives and can be used as a tool to deliver broader Member and stakeholder benefit.

The RJC is a Full Member of the ISEAL Alliance – the global association for sustainability standards. For more information on RJC Members, Certification, and Standards please visit www.responsiblejewellery.com